Connecticut hit-and-run kills college student, suspect arrested

A University of Massachusetts Amherst student was hit by a car in a parking lot and dragged for at least one block during the weekend after Christmas. The 21-year-old did not survive the injuries that she suffered in the accident, and the suspect in the case was arrested by police after he returned to the scene of the incident.

According to police, the young woman was hit by a 26-year-old man while she was getting something from her vehicle, which was parked in a lot off of William Street in Greenwich. The driver was behind the wheel of a red Pontiac, and he initially stopped but then fled the scene, dragging the sociology major with him under the car. Witnesses say that the young woman was discovered on Division Street, about a block from the scene. She died from her injuries.

Authorities launched a manhunt to find the culprit, which surprised some people in the neighborhood. However, it turned out that the man returned to the parking lot where the fatal accident happened because he works at a nearby restaurant. On Dec. 30, the man was arraigned at Greenwich Superior Court, and he is being held on a $500,000 bond.

The family members of a hit-and-run victim may be entitled to compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. An attorney may be able to help family members seek compensation from the negligent party, which could potentially cover the cost of the funeral as well as the mental anguish that they suffer.